“Drapeaux” places Dub Inc’s long-standing reggae foundation in dialogue with questions of dual identity. Built on a mid-tempo one-drop rhythm, the song features the mandola of Alaoua Idir, whose playing carries a distinctly North African colour and situates the track within a trans-Mediterranean frame.

Bouchkour and Komlan sing directly about bicultural life between France and Algeria. “J’aimerais que l’on me dise de quelle couleur est mon drapeau” (“So tell me, what colour is my flag?”) is posed as a refrain. Other verses present flags as shifting signs: “Les drapeaux n’ont pas d’âme et n’ont pas de parole / Ils ne suivent que le vent et n’ont pas de boussole” (“Flags are soulless, they never keep their word / They only follow the wind and they have no compass”).

The lyrics join personal voice and collective memory. “Encore du mal à trouver ma place” (“I’m still struggling to find my place”) sits alongside “Des valeurs auxquelles je m’attache” (“The values to which I am attached”), while “Comment l’expliquer à mes enfants?” (“How can I explain this to my children?”) points to transmission across generations. Bicultural identity is presented not as division but as accumulation, with overlapping languages, customs, and responsibilities. The song also reflects the histories of Saint-Étienne, where industrial and migrant experiences shape the band’s perspective.

As the second single from Atlas, “Drapeaux” signals the record’s focus. The album extends Dub Inc’s reggae foundation with Algerian instrumentation, Kabyle heritage, and socially engaged lyricism. Identity sits at its core, with songs addressing migration, memory, and belonging as active processes. Atlas keeps the group’s emphasis on rhythm and melody while confronting contemporary social questions head-on.

Stream and listen to the single HERE